DAILY PROMPT 1866 — WHAT ARE 3 THINGS YOU COULDN’T LIVE WITHOUT

Three things I absolutely could not live without are my Bible, Something to Write With, and Something to Paint With.

Well, that’s one way of looking at it. But actually, there’s an alternate list. The prompt didn’t ask us to list THE ONLY 3 things we couldn’t live without. The first list is definitely true. But so is my second list: My Bible, Coffee, & Chocolate.

There’s no question that my Bible comes first on either list. I live by God’s Word in every aspect of my life, and it gives me guidance, healing, and sanity in a very disturbed world. But those other two choices — well — they sort of ebb and flow.

There are days when I really do need to write.  And my art helps release all the creative energy inside as well as relieve stress. So on some days, I couldn’t stand not being able to write or paint. 

But then there are those days when all I need is to feel comforted and cozy and convinced that everything is going to be all right. On those days, numbers 2 and3 are definitely coffee and chocolate — preferably at the same time.  🙂


WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK? – Daily Writing Prompt 1855

Oh, my goodness, that is such an easy question to answer.  My favorite drink of all time is COFFEE — The elixir of life.

photo courtesy of a-mblamma @ pixabay.com

In fact, anyone who has followed my blog for any amount of time could have answered it for me, because they all know I have five specific categories on my website that are dedicated to coffee: ‘Daily Grind Coffee Quotes,’ ‘Coffee Thursday,’ ‘Let’s Talk Coffee,’ ‘Coffee Is a Poem,’ and ‘Coffee Valentines.’  🙂

Not only that, but I’ve published the Daily Grind Coffee Lover’s Journal, and I am in the process of writing my newest coffee book titled Coffee: The Elixir of Life,  which will include articles, poetry, and fabulous pictures with appropriate captions. Added to those activities, I have begun preparing a series of podcasts titled “Let’s Talk Coffee.”  They aren’t available for the public yet, but soon.

So, yep, it’s coffee for me — no contest!



A DRINK CALLED ‘JOE’

I’m still working on my coffee poetry book, and I’m thinking about including this poem in the mix. I’m not sure yet, because I’m not positive it’s clear and understandable. If any of you who read it on here have an opinion about whether the point is clear — or confusing — let me know in the comments. Thanks. And — hopefully — you’ll enjoy it.

A CUP OF JOSEPH DANIELS???

I heard the story this way,
And perhaps it’s mostly true:
That way back when, in World War I,
Coffee’s popularity grew.

It seems a Joseph Daniels,
Navy Secretary then,
Made efforts strong to change some things
And bolster moral men.

He instituted new rules
So Navy guys would think,
And contemplate the consequence
Of inebriating drink.

Banned alcohol consumption,
And, naturally, that led
To stewards brewing coffee more
For sailors to drink instead.

According to the legend,
This mark the guys did toe,
But much disgruntled at their loss,
Nicknamed their coffee “Joe.”


A NEW COFFEE BOOK IS BREWING

photo courtesy of Engin Akyurt @ pixabay.com

I’m working on a new coffee poetry book.  It will include a little more than poems though. I think I’ll use several of the coffee photos and quotes that I used in my coffee lovers journal and intersperse them between the poems. I’ll have to see how the plan works out. Right now, I think it is destined to be more of a “coffee table” book [no pun intended :)] with full color inside. I have loads of coffee poems already written of course, but I have to write some new ones as well. Today, I thought I’d share one of the newest — hot off the press, so to speak.

MY BEVERAGE OF CHOICE

I have a great respect for milk and tea,
And I drink both of them occasion’ly.
I’m not a snob, though some may think me so;
It’s just that I’ve a favorite drink called ‘Joe.’

It’s quite a nickname, that, and quite a tale
Of how it came about, but truth to tell,
That story isn’t pertinent to this rhyme,
So I will share it all another time.

For now, I’d like to focus on my cup.
Its freshly-brewed aroma lifts me up.
The coffee’s hot and black and medium roast.
To celebrate, I’ll make a tasty toast:

To coffee, life’s elixir, piping hot ⸺
The energizing drink that hits the spot.
But comforting as well; it soothes my soul.
My beverage of choice: it wins the poll.


PICK-ME-UP CINQUAIN

Life gets so busy, and I’m finding it harder and harder to post on the website the way I used to. I miss it. And I decided today that it has been entirely too long since I have written some cinquain — or since I have written about coffee. So I decided to combine the two subjects and here’s what I came up with.

photo courtesy of coyot @ pixabay.com

PICK-ME-UP

I need
A pick-me-up.
And I know what will work:
A cup of fragrant, fresh-brewed joy — 
Coffee!

It’s great
At any time.
One cup won’t be enough.
I feel inspired to brew up a
Full pot.

YES!
🙂

 


Let’s Talk Coffee Podcast Trailer/Intro

This short podcast is the trailer/intro for my newest series of podcast episodes coming soon. I’m posting it today as an experiment to make sure all parts of my theme are cooperating with me on this venture. It will be about another week before I start publishing regular episodes, but I’ll be sure and let you know so that you can listen from here or from other major podcast venues.


PLEASE HELP:  I’ve set a picture for this post for now, but I’m having trouble deciding which picture to use for my cover art for the podcast when it appears on other venues.  Would you be so kind as to drop down to the “Comment” section and let me know which of the pictures you think would be best. You can choose from the one I’ve set as the temporary image above, or any one of these others I’ve inserted below this paragraph. Thanks a lot for your help.


Recipe For Creative Writing — Revisited

What?  You don’t think I’m serious about this recipe? Well, I assure you that I am. In fact, I’ve been writing — very successfully, I might add — for many years now using these ingredients on a regular basis. I originally posted the recipe about five years ago, but when I revisited the article recently and thought it over, I realized that I’m even more convinced of its effectiveness now than I was then. So I’m re-posting it just for the fun of it.

BLACK TYPEWRITER w. quiet1. A Quiet Corner:

I must have quiet when I’m creating.  If I’m simply relaxing — or doing housework — or eating — I often enjoy listening to music, a TV program, or a lesson on a subject that interests me. But if I am intent on creating something with words, I do not want any conversation or music whirling around me. I want to be closed into my own private world — just me and my words — until I have received conception of and given birth to that brand new entity that has been waiting on me to bring it into the world. So this ingredient is a must.

2. A Cup of Coffee — or Two:This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is coffee-computer-engin-akyurt-px.jpg

My, there’s just nothing that quite equals the soothing, uplifting aroma of fresh-brewed coffee. And I’m tired of hearing all the uninformed critics out there who try to make coffee drinkers feel guilty because there is an element of caffeine in coffee. I have always maintained that, since the Lord told us in Genesis that He made the seed-bearing trees and plants for us to eat, then we should be able to partake of coffee with a clear conscience and a happy heart. And let’s not forget that God made the coffee bean with the caffeine in it.

Furthermore, there have been numerous medical and scientific experiments done over the past half dozen years that prove coffee has many beneficial qualities for the human body — everything from quickening our brain function to eliminating headaches as quickly as aspirin to protecting the body against several kinds of cancer and heart problems. Naturally, nothing is good for our bodies if we partake of too much of it, to the exclusion of other important elements. But in moderation, coffee is a great blessing. And considering the fact that, in my family, a good cup of coffee has always been associated with family togetherness, wonderful fellowship, and comforting relaxation, coffee is, for sure, a substantial ingredient in my recipe.

3. Chocolate:

BOX OF CHOCOLATESAs with coffee, the medical field has grown in its understanding over the past decade concerning chocolate. Researchers in the field have learned that chocolate has many helpful — and healthful — benefits for our bodies. Again, we remember that everything we ingest is most helpful when taken in moderation. But there’s one more quality associated with chocolate that we must add to our evaluation of it. We need to consider the connotations associated with that delicious treat — you know: mother’s love, romantic love, comfort, and a little extra surge of energy. Now, given all those positives, how could I possibly leave chocolate out of my recipe?

Combine all ingredients in whatever ratios make you happy.

So there you have it folks. There’s just no other recipe quite so perfect for the dedicated, committed creative writer. And if you haven’t yet used this particular recipe, give it a try the next time you sit down to write.  Your masterpiece may be just a quiet corner, a cup of coffee, and a chocolate bar away.

~~~

Three-Day Coffee Cinquain Challenge — Day 3


Okay! We’re finishing up the first full month of 2021 on a great note: with coffee and cinquain. What better combination is there?
(Well …. maybe coffee and chocolate … but we’ll do that again later.)

photo courtesy of Annie Spratt @ pixabay.com

Ooopsie!
Don’t want to spill
Or waste a single drop
Of this delicious coffee in
My cup.


Three-Day Coffee Cinquain Challenge — Day 1

I decided it’s time I wrote about coffee again, and I like to challenge myself to write about a common topic in an uncommon way. So I’ve decided to close out January with a 3-day challenge to myself to write a brand new coffee cinquain for the last 3 days of the month. And if any of my viewers would like to join the challenge, you are very welcome to do so. Just write your own coffee cinquain on your own site and hop over here and put the link to it in the Comment Window below. If you’re not familiar with cinquain, you can find an explanation on my poetry site at this link: Ahyoka/Cinquain.

So let’s get started with Day 1’s poem.

photo courtesy of Biea @ pixabay.com

My day
Is starting right:
My coffee’s black and hot,
My cup entwined in happy leaves.
Content.


 

The Politically Correct Drink

Politics ruffle my soul.
The worst of most people they show.
But when I get stressed and uptight,
I know what will make it quite right:
Please give me Coffee!

I need to lean back and breathe slow.
For Presidents will come and go.
Some are corrupt and hell-bent.
I’ll pray they’re removed, but ’til then,
Please give me Coffee!

I look back on hist’ry; alas:
We should have learned more from the past.
But I haven’t given up hope.
So with four years of crap I can cope
If I have LOTS OF COFFEE!!!!!!!!